The present invention relates to the electroformation of metallic filaments and, more particularly, to an improved cathode arrangement that facilitates the production of a number of fine metallic filaments.
The deposition of metal on a plating surface, and the stripping of metal so deposited, has been a repeatedly proposed technique for forming metallic filaments, strands, or wires over the years. Various problems of previously proposed arrangements (e.g., short cathode lifetime, very low permissible stripping rate for the filaments, etc.) were overcome by an arrangement proposed in Wang U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,610, issued Dec. 30, 1975, owned by the assignee of the present invention, and incorporated herein by reference. This Wang patent teaches a very desirable closed-loop double spiral plating track pattern for a cathode. The present invention is concerned with modifications in such a cathode that facilitate the incorporation of such an electrodeposition technique into a total stranded wire fabrication system, such as described in contemporaneously filed patent application entitled "Flexible Electrical Conductor and Method of Manufacturing Same", assigned to the assignee of the present application. Furthermore, certain improvements according to the present invention facilitate filament production, using the basic technique of the Wang patent, whatever the end use of the filaments produced.